While Patient Transport is Brenden’s official title, his role is much, much more. His love for helping others led him to this position, where he is known for going the extra mile. Making sure patients in his care are safe and comfortable is Brenden’s main priority from the moment his shift begins.
Over two years ago (almost three), Brenden began working at Maryview Medical Center after connecting with Benjamin Messenger, Director for Patient Transport, through a Didlake job coach. Following his mother’s passing in 2020, Brenden decided he wanted to make a change in his life and step into a new role where he could help others, a passion of his since 6th grade. “With my disability, I love helping people with other disabilities such as autism, Down syndrome, wounded patients… the reason why I picked this job is because I get to help people,” says Brenden. His role as a transporter was extremely fitting in more ways than one, especially considering his initials and childhood nickname, “BMW.”
Working in Patient Transport, Brenden is tasked with getting patients from one point of the hospital to another as safely and efficiently as possible while completing all necessary paperwork. On a busy day, this quickly becomes a high-stress environment. However, that is not a worry for Brenden. His main focus is getting his job done and doing it well, no matter what. To him, a large part of his job is establishing meaningful connections with patients- a natural talent. Benjamin and the other supervisors often audit transport staff, and they have seen firsthand that Brenden’s greatest strength is the way he interacts with others. Benjamin says, “He is kind and courteous and always makes sure the patient is safe. He always makes sure the patient is comfortable during transport, taking the extra step to ensure the patient has a blanket and feels good overall before leaving the floor. Even just talking to the patient. It can be talking about anything… about how their day is going, movies or music… It’s great to see.”
Brenden’s commitment to his role has even earned him recognition within the hospital. Hospital staff demonstrating exemplary behavior every month are nominated for the Rose Award. Last year, Brenden was a recipient. On two separate occasions, he helped distressed patients and stayed with them until they were out of harm’s way. He is seen as an incredible asset to the team, always doing the right thing. To Benjamin, “BMW [Brenden] is definitely a good employee and a good team member,” and he “looks forward to many more years with him.” The relationship the two have fostered has been a driving force to Brenden’s success in the workplace.
Outside the hospital, Brenden enjoys playing video games and taking naps (especially after those long, eight-hour shifts). On the weekends, he spends time with his girlfriend, whom he met during their time as Project SEARCH interns together. “BMW” is also a movie expert and is guaranteed to have a couple of movie references on hand!